The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-01-01
TIE L EAnY.
Its Early Handling und tho Choice of /
HHa. .I H. Nurse, -E4. 3
EY MRS. N. 7. HANDY.

copyrighted 1851

EY Mrs. N. 7. HANDY.
copyrighted 1851
Some interchangeable person, with a taste
for statistics, clNims to have discovered by
research among the mortuary records of
various countries that a larger proportion
OF the first babies die than Of sny others;
that is to gay, that the frs! born Of a FAM
lily has lses chance Of reaching adult age
than any of its future brothers or sisters.
Withou. access to tho proper locu-
ments, it ia imPosaible either to verify or
disprove this statement; still, assuming it
to DO correct, tho reason ia not far to seek.
The American mother, especially, with
her first baby, ia not frequently an object
OF pity. Rarely has her previous educa,
ton fitted her, snd it ia by experiments.
not to say mistakes With her frs. born
that she learns how TO manage its sue.
cessors. =
When the child cries she is totally IN.
able to tell what ais it; whether its cries
proceed from pain. temper, or from bodily
discomfort, as is often tho case, discomfort
which may be caused by tight clothing,
by heat, by cold feet-a most fruitful
source OF collie, ctc.-or by unakiiiiul
handling, since the art Of holding q baby
!. comfortably does not elways come by ma
ture. Indeed, instruction therein forms
part OF tho resnlar curriculum at medical
colleges. ~
In spite Of thsfailinga OF monthly nurses
as immotta!ized by Charlea Dickenu, there
are thofe who really merit the high wages
which they demand. With them, how.
ever, we have naught to do Our business
is with the young mother when the nprae
is gone, and she is thrown upon her own
resources.
q A mistake made by many women,
through false ideas Of economy, ia that OF
%discharging tha monthly nurse too soon.
To overtax the strength ut auch'n time is
to draw heavily upon your capital, an eX.
!, travagance which is likely to be .denrly'
paid for hereafter.
When she leaves, by all means have the
best nurse you a afford for your child,
and to this end exact unexceptionab!e
references. Do not trust 10 written ones.
Many a woman is weak enough to give d
good character" 10 q discharged servant,
through motives Of pity or something elee,
who If You push her into 3 corner with .
direct question will answer you frankly.
and tell you all you need to know. Ed
4. quire strictly as to the girls temper, CO.
briefly, honesty, neatness and general
qualifications.
II you cannot have all the virtues for
the sum you arc prepared to pay, at least
make up your mind to have 0s many OF
them rs you can got.
Having engaged tho girl, watch her, no
matter what her recommendations may
be. Let nothing but actual physicst dis.
ability induce you to give the entire charge
Of your infant into the hands OF any hired
servant; and ever then, and If 1t be posi-
BILE; first be assured that your deputy Ia
i trustworthy. y,
Nobody knows how much little children
sometimes suffer at the hands OF the un-
principled persons. to whom they arc too
often ignorautly entrusted. More than
one fatal attack OF brain disease has been
directly traced 10 . dose of opium given by
An interruptions nurse. to quiet d crying
/, child; manya baby has caught lis death
from exposure TO a'hot suac or q cold wind
in i.s perambulator while its careless nurse
gossiped with lover or friend, or read dime
novels Ia tho public parks, aud last but
no. least, many q nervous child has been
Injured Tor Lille, by the nursery bugNboos
with which it,has been terrified into sub
mission and quiet; not always blythe
nurses v.
We know Of ore, busy woman, snd,wcll.
knoTnwtiter, whose children are models
OF physical beauty, who always from the
first year Of their existence devotes herself